nordenfelt



iNO Model.) v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

NORDENFEL'T.

- ELECTRIC FIRING MECHANISM FOR BREEGH LOADING GUNS. No. 411; 83'1. Patented Oct. 1 1889?.

2-Sheets-Sheet 2. T. NORDENPELT.

Patented Oct. 1., 1889,.

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(No Model.)

ELECTRIC FIRING MEGHANISM FOR BREBOH LOADING GUN$. No. 411,831.

20' the following manner: The breech-block is 2'5 cavity.

NITE S'ra'rns THORSTEN N Q'RDENFELT, O1 \VES"MINSTER, ENGl'niNl), ASSIGUOR TO THE MAXlM-NORDENFELT GUNS AND AMMUNITION COMPANY, (LIMTIEIL) OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC FIRING MECHANISM FOR BREECH LOADlNG cuNs.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 411,831, dated October 1, 1889.

Applieation filed April 24, 1889.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THORSTEN NORDEN- FELT, civil engineer, a subject of the King of Sweden, residing at 53 Parliament Street, in v 5 the city of WVestminster, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Firing Mechanism for Breech Loading'Guns, of which the following is a specification.

In the specifications of former patents applied for by'me1\los.'384 ,587 and 388,576- I described breech loading mechanism in which the breech-block was formed with a divided screw-thread, so that it could be re- '5 leased by a partial turn and be then drawn back into a ring and be carried in this ring to one side of the gun, the ring then turning on an axis parallel with the bore. 1 new form such guns with electric firing mechanism in formed with a cavity extending into it cen-- trally from its rear end. Into this cavity an electric battery is inserted, which, with insulating material surrounding it, just fits the The rear end of the cavityis closed by a screw-plum From the front end of the cavity a.{c'ontact-rod extends and protrudes slightly from the front face of the block. Preferably the rod is pressed forward by a 30 spring, which also serves as a conductor be tween the rod and a metal disk at the front end of the casing of the battery, which either permanently or preferably only at the instant of firing is placed in electrical connection with 3 5 one pole of the battery. In this way one pole of the battery is brought into contact with the ordinary insulated central stem of the electric fuse at the-center of .the base of the cartridgewhen the un is loaded. The other 40 pole of the battery is in connection with a metallic ring at the exterior of the rear end of the'battery-easing, and which is insulated from the metal disk at the front end of the casing. A contact-rod passes radially through 5 the breech-block and is irerrnally held away froin'the ring forming the. battery terminal by a sprin The ring into which the rear end of the breech-block extends also has passing radially through it a'contact-rod, the go inner end of which comes opposite to the Serial N0. 308,354. (No model.)

I this rod into contact with the ring at the rear end of the battery, which forms the battery terminal. A circuit will then bO-(Olll-lflflllfitl from one pole of the battery to the other through the fuse in the cart-ridge, and the cartridge will be iircd. 'lhc pressing inward of the contact-Ml carried by the ring may be effected by a lever acted on by a cord or may be effected inothcr convenient way. If, as is preferred, the disk at the front end of the casing of the battery is not pernianentlyeonnccted electrically with ihc'battcry, then the contact-rod, as it moves forward, is made to establish .this connection by thrusiing for-' ward a needle, which is insulated from the contact-rod, but permanently connected with the battery-pole.

The breech-blocks of.breoeh lmiding guns of other construction than those ilescribcd in my former applications for patents may also .be formed with a cavity within them to reeeivc the electric battery used nition of the cartridges.

,In order that my said invention may be fully understood and readily carried into cfiect, I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto zinnexicih In the drawings, Figure l is a rear elevation of the bi'ecclnblock and carrying-ring. Fig. 2 is a lcmgitudinal section of the same on the line 2 in Fig. 1. lrligs. 3 to b show some of the parts separately. p P T a is the hreech-block,which is adapted to the breech of the gun by a dividcdsctew thread on its exterior; but this, as it forms no part of the present invention, is notiopresented in the drawings. 1

l) is the ring in whichthc breech-block is for electric igcarried when itis withdrawn. lliis ring can drical cavity, and in this cavity the batterycell is contained.

The case consists of "an eboiiite cylinder (1, closed bya cover d of the same material and enveloped in soft india-r nbber (Z and over this there is a jacket of vulcanized fiber d", to prevent chafing of the india-rnbber when the casing is thrust into the cavity in the breech-block. A silver tube e extends from end to end of the casing. The casing contains, preferably, silver and zincplates,togetherwith chloride of silver v and chlorideof ammonium in solution, or in placeof the latter caustic potash may be cinployed. 'llie silver plates are covered with, precipitated chloride of silver, which is at tached to the plateby partial fusion, and the plate is then enveloped in a bag of linen or parchment-papcr. Eachsilver plate-is'coated v p ready stat ed withchloride on both its faces, except that at the center ofthe cell there are two silver plates, one on: either side of the tube c, and these are coated-en one, side only, H

,Fi fd is an end elevation ofthe batterycell, and Fig. 5 is a section. v

The silver plates are inarkedf and the zines whicbyliecn either side ol' them are inarked g g. -'llach' silver plate has a, iai'lf, .which projcctsthrdugh a slit in the cm'cr (1. It also passes through-a slit in a siltcr plate h, which lies again-st the outer face of the cover, and it is attached to ,thisplatrby sol- (18? The zinc plates g are also provided with projections or tails g',. andby tin-sethey are attached to the bar 1'. j p

The parts g, g Qand i an: shown in perspective by Fig. (5. The iails g are lcveiVed into notches in the cover of the casing: (7.

Between the vines and the oated siltcr plates several thicknesses of blott.in;r--pa )er ar placcd, and also in each case a thinshect or, finely perforated celluloid. '.\Vhcn the plates are all in place, thejoinls around the cover-d are made light by'au insnlatingmcincut. 1 a. I

\Vhen reqniredfor usc,'tl1e battci'y-ccll'is iilledthrongh aholc in'the cover with a satin ratedsolntion of sal-an-nnoniamanjd the hole is then plugged. In place of sal-annnoniac a solution of caustic potash may-be usethas al- ",llllfllll, ll Will in: fl f'w-ll r'u frtains little or no free liquid; but the liquidis hem j fthe poresv ofthe absorl unit in: alcrial.

Over the silver plate/I a covering/gin vulcanized fiber, placed, and this forms a flat surface against fwhich rine rests. This ring is shown separately by Fig. 7, vThis ring, alsorests upon the bar i, and o is a1- waysin electrical CflllllOP-llflll with the zines of the battery-cell. The ring I, l pwifcr'to provide with a movable part or Hap 1', jointed to 1i, and ii is will: lbisiha lln) contact-pin 'm in the breech-block makes contactin order to fire the gun. The contact-pin misinclosed in a casing n of vulcanized fiber, by which it is insulated, and a spring presses itoutward. Behind the ring land the flap Z. is'an insulatting-cap of vulcanized fiber o. (Shown separately by Fig. 8.) In this cap there is an The opening for the contact-pin m to pass. cavity'in the breech-block is closed iii-rear by ascrew-plug p, and a packing of india rubber and a steel disk is interposed. between theplug and'the insulatiiig cap 0." I v .At'ftbe fore part of the breech-bl0ck there is a pin q, pressed forward bya spring 1 and when the. breech is closed this pin makes co r tact with theclectric' fuse of the cartridge.

The spring q abuts on the disk r, and this,

'togetherwith the spring and pin,is insulated by the case 3, of vulcanized fiber, in which the die If, however, is pressed rearward by" the spring #against the insulating-cap l of vul canized fiber, inserted into the flap 1. \Vhen the contact-rod. m is moved. inward by'the outer contact-rod a being made to abut upon it, it displaces the flap Z, overcoming the spring 6 andthe needletby its fore end makin g contact with the disk. I The battery cnr, rent then passes from. the silver plates to the tube e, thence to'th c needle I, the disk 0'', and

parts are contained. A steel needle 2- passes through the silver tube a, and when it comes into contact with the disk 1' it establisheselectrical connection between the pin and the silver plates of thebattery-celL The I'ieethe pin (,a- Asihe pint is in contact with the electric fuse of thccartridge the current trav erse's the fuse and so passes tothemetal of the gun. The current thus reaches the ring I), from whence it passes by the eontactpins e in (which at this time are thrust inward) to i the flap l and'bar' and so to' the zines g of the l attc ry- '-lcll.. The circn it thus being coinplote, the gun is fir"ed. I I M It desired,thc needle f maybe prolonged to make direct contact with the clectricfnse in place of providing lute rmediatc parts; butt hc arrangement shown is preferable. v

It is not-essential tom-y imention that the battery-cell should. consist of the elements above enumerated! Other element-s maybe substituted; but I prefer the arrangement described.

What I claim i's-';- v

1. The. combination 0!, a movable breeclr, block, a battery contai 11 ed tlnfrei n, and nech' through the electric fuse f the cartrnlge.- f

' 2. Tithecombination of abreec'lbblockturn:, ing ills- 1r ringpivoted to the gun,'a battery contained within the l.. 1ock,acontact-maker a atthciore end of the block making contact either directly or through another contactinalc-erwith the sch vlric f use of the cartridge,

a contactnnalkm radial to the ,hlqk, am-L by which it isactuated and'the circuit closed when the breech is completely shut.

' the pin making contact either directly or through a contact-maker with the electric fuse of the-cartridge, and mechanism for oper ating the other end of the pin and closing the circuit. 1

4. The combination of a breeeh-block turning in a ring pivoted to the gun, abattery contained within the block, a tube passing through thebattery and connected to one of the plates thereof, a contactqnakin gpin passing through the said tnbe, the'fore end of a contact-maker radial to the biock and in contact with and actuatingthe flap, and firing mechanism carried by the ring and coming opposite .to the radial contactnnaker when the breech is comp]etolyshni'.

THORSTEN NORDENFELT. Witnesses:

13. GRILL, F. A; NOEL. 

